Shelby County’s tennis teams are heading in different directions moving into the 2018 season, as the boys teams have a good mix of experience and youth while the girls’ squad has some growing to do out on the courts.

With five seniors headlining this year’s boys’ team, the Rockets are looking to make an impact in the regular season and have athletes advance to the region tournament.

While the Collins girls’ tennis team will be sporting some new faces once the season opens, the boys team has a loaded schedule and seasoned roster that will hopefully pay off come postseason time in May.

The girls’ team will have a complete revamp from last season’s team, with its No. 1 doubles team departing due to graduation.

Titan girls’ coach John Davis says the team will return just two players from last season’s team.

After returning just 30 innings of pitching experience in 2017, Collins will look to revamp its team this season by bringing 134 innings back from last season’s team that finished as a district runner-up.

Collins’ rotation will be a major factor in how the season unfolds for the Titans, who finished last season with a first-round defeat of rival Shelby County in the 30th District Tournament and a 8th Region Tournament win over Carroll County before bowing out to Simon Kenton in the Region semifinals.

Shelbyville-native Mimi Ward has spent the last six years perfecting her swimming and biking techniques, and it has paid off, as she finished second in the female 55-59 age bracket and has earned All-American status through USA Triathlon for the second time as a result.

The aquabike event combines two legs of the traditional triathlon race in swimming and biking, while cutting out the running portion of the event.

Ward says that her personality and swimming background encouraged her to get started in competition.

When Jacob Feltner’s three cut Oldham County’s lead to 61-57 with less than two minutes remaining in the Titan’s 8th Region Tournament opener Thursday, it looked like the Collins boys’ basketball team had another rally left.

Instead, it was Oldham County and guard Jackson Gibson that took charge down the stretch in the 68-61 Oldham win. The Colonels’ victory was payback for last season when the Titans knocked Oldham out in the 8th Region opener on the way to the title and a birth in the Sweet 16.